Haute colour: Lady in red

Dubai seems to have triggered a red revolution in Victoria Beckham. Famed for her love of black dresses, the former Spice Girl was seen in a long, flowing red outfit as she checked into a golf resort in town last week.

In a sea of wintry clothes, tomato-esque red is the catwalk designer’s colour of choice for making a statement. And ‘the’ colour of winter ’09 is perfect for this time of year, whether you're working red daytime drama or evening glamour.

Just like Posh, give your wardrobe some seasonal punch. Here’s how to stay on red alert.

Daytime red

Red is the ideal winter colour for putting a fresh spin on wardrobe classics. For a seasonal revamp replace your white shirt with a ruffled red blouse, swap your staple black jersey dress with a glossy red number and ditch dull cardigans for ones in a look-at-me shade of scarlet.

Style tip: Who cares what you’ve got on underneath? A brilliant bright red winter coat is all you need in your wardrobe this winter to lift your daytime look.

Evening red

If there’s one must-have party piece that emerged from this season’s catwalks it’s the racy red dress. From long flowing gowns through to disco-ready minis, red rules the fashion roost.

Beware: Bright red frocks are only for the brave and the bold so wear them at your peril if you hate being the centre of attention.

Style tip: Ditch any fussy accessories or hair styles. A bright red flowing gown or glitzy minidress will already be oozing with the wow factor.

Red extras

You don’t have to do all-over red to stand out from the crowd. One hot scarlet accessory is enough to transform a drab outfit.

Think glossy patent red boots or bag for day, or red belt or heels for a night-time pop of colour.

If you’re strapped for cash the easiest way to inject some red-hot style into your look is with a pair of opaque tights – the brighter the better.

Style tip: For instant impact try not to work more than one red accessory at once. Mixing and matching different shades of red is tricky to pull off.